1988 Soviet Air Force Il-76 crash

The aircraft was ten years old at the time of the accident having first flown in 1978.[1] The passengers were personnel of the Soviet Armed Forces—50 Azerbaijani, 13 Lezgin, 11 Russians, 2 Tatars, 1 Armenian and 1 Jew. The nine crew were Russian.[2]

The aircraft flew as part of the relief effort following the Spitak earthquake on 7 December. It transported military personnel and equipment to aid in relief efforts following the earthquake. It departed Baku-Bina International Airport in Azerbaijan for Leninakan Airport in Armenia. The aircraft entered Leninakan Airport airspace at 06:10 Moscow time, 56 minutes into the flight, and began to descend from 5,300 m (17,400 ft), as instructed by air traffic controllers. It struck the side of a mountain during its descent.[3] All nine crew and 68 of the 69 passengers died.[1] One passenger survived the crash because he had been sleeping in a Kamaz truck loaded with mattresses at the rear of the aircraft.[4]

A day after the crash, an Armenian spokesperson said the aircraft crashed after colliding with a helicopter while approaching the airport but news agencies made no mention of this claim.[5] Speculations that it was shot down by Armenians also arose.[6] The crash was eventually attributed to an incorrect altimeter setting by the flight crew which gave an incorrect altitude reading that was 1,100 m (3,600 ft) higher than the actual altitude. The indication on the altimeter at the time of impact was 1,425 m (4,675 ft). Crew fatigue was cited as a factor in the crash—the flight crew was not given enough rest after carrying out multiple relief flights the previous day.[3]